Is fur green?

By Fidan Karimova

Have you heard of the saying that fur is green? Well, neither had I until I found out about the Fur is green campaign by Fur Council of Canada – a Canadian non-profit federation representing people working in Canada’s fur sector. The following are the four reasons the campaign provides in support of the “fur is green” statement:

1. Fur is eco-logical: Unlike synthetic clothing, which is made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum, fur is made from renewable sources, since animals reproduce every year.
2. Fur is durable and recyclable: The council argues that if the fur garment is well taken care of, it will remain in the owner’s possession for many years. It is one of those pieces of clothing that passes from many a generation to generation – like a good Chanel garment.
3. Fur is biodegradable: Real-fur is a biodegradable material and thus, even with the tanning process of fur, eventually the material will dry out and then it can be used as compost for the garden.
4. Fur processing is earth-friendly: Fur tanning can usually be accomplished by using very harmless materials, such as salt, water, alum salts, as well as other resources. On the other hand, the production of synthetic materials is carried out via chemical reactions require high temperatures and are more likely to release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

The fact of the matter is that the idea of fur being green would be much more acceptable on a planet that holds less than 6 billion people and with people that are very aware of their environmental actions. With our over-consuming society that likes to buy clothes to wear for approximately one or two fashion seasons, fur does not seem like a viable option. Furthermore, in order for it to become a possible solution, one of the major changes that would have to take place is the horrible mistreatment that animals undergo for their fur. Things such as caged life, electrocution, tanning of animals while they are alive, would all have to be eradicated.